-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 7:29 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 1/8/08

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               1/8/2008
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
        (email):     
     (deadline):    midnight Mondays
Compiler:           Helen Patton 
Sponsor:            Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
                      Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber:        Steve Cordle ()

Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon
Advocate $150). The membership number is 301-652-9188, option 12; the
address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; and the web
site is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.

This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report was completed Tuesday, January 8, at
7:00 pm.

Top birds this week are TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and PAINTED BUNTING* in
VA.

Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RUFFED GROUSE, RED-NECKED
GREBE, EARED GREBE, hawks, falcons, SANDHILL CRANE, gulls, EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE*, SHORT-EARED OWL, Hummingbird, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE*,
SEDGE WREN, warblers, sparrows, SNOW BUNTING and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was spotted in a residential area of
Williamsburg, VA with sightings through the week. 

A PAINTED BUNTING continues to visit a feeder on River Circle, Verona,
Augusta Co, VA with sightings through the week.
  
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen during the week including two
found adjacent to Rte 156 in Charles City Co, VA on January 4; one at
North Branch, Allegany Co, MD on January 5; six at Piney Run Park,
Carroll Co, MD on January 6 and one at Locustville, VA on January 7.
Great Oak pond, Kent Co, MD had both a CACKLING and a ROSS'S GOOSE,
seen on January 3. Another ROSS'S GOOSE was seen in a field on Worton
Road, Kent Co, MD on January 5. Two CACKLING GEESE were seen on Turkey
Island Road in Henrico Co, VA on January 4.  A CACKLING GOOSE was seen
in the Potomac near Memorial Bridge, DC on January 5 and another was
spotted at Greenbelt Lake, Prince George's Co. MD on January 6.  Three
ROSS'S GEESE were observed at Truitt's Landing, Worcester Co, MD on
January 5.

A KING EIDER was noted in a large mixed duck flock north of the
Fishing Pier in Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's Co, MD on January 1, 5
and 6.  A COMMON EIDER and two HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen at the Ocean
City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD on January 5.

A RUFFED GROUSE was drumming near the Upper North Ridge Trail at Sky
Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on January 6.

A small flotilla of six or seven RED-NECKED GREBES was seen actively
feeding in the Potomac River at Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on
January 1.  EARED GREBES were seen at Point Lookout State Park, St.
Mary's Co, MD with sightings on January 1 and 6.

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was perched in a Maple tree in Highland Co, VA west
of VA 637 and north of US 250 on January 4. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was
observed at close range at Sky Meadows SP on January 2. A GOLDEN EAGLE
was seen flying and perched near Centreville, Fairfax Co, VA on
January 1.  Another GOLDEN EAGLE was seen from the Wildlife Drive at
Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on January 5.

MERLINS were seen in several places this week - Dyke Marsh and Huntley
Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on January 1; Wheaton, Montgomery Co, MD on
January 2; Washington Channel, DC on January 3. Another MERLIN was
seen at Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore Co, MD on January 7. The
PEREGRINE FALCONS have returned to the Montgomery Co, MD side of the
American Legion Bridge with a sighting on January 1.  Another
PEREGRINE FALCON flew over Bethesda, Montgomery Co, MD on January 2.

A SANDHILL CRANE was spotted flying over I-95, Exit 74, Harford Co, MD
on January 5.  A SANDHILL CRANE could be seen from the dam at
Triadelphia Reservoir, Montgomery/Howard Co, MD while five SANDHILL
CRANES were spotted in a field near Hagerstown, Washington Co, MD on
January 6.

The Nansemond River CBC in VA found both a THAYER'S and a GLAUCOUS
GULL on January 2. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Schoolhouse
Pond, Prince George's Co, MD on January 4.  Another LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was standing on the ice in the Potomac River
upstream of Memorial Bridge, DC, seen on January 5.  Two LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS were on the beach close to the State Park parking
lot on Assateague, Worcester Co, MD on January 6.  An ICELAND GULL was
seen at Burke Lake, Fairfax Co, VA on January 1.  A gull workshop
field trip on January 5 encountered an ICELAND GULL and seven LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS at Warrenton, Fauquier Co, VA and three ICELAND
GULLS and three LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS in the Prince William, VA
landfill. An ICELAND GULL made an appearance at Piney Run Park,
Carroll Co, MD, the first there in many years.

A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE* was seen at South Point, Worcester Co, MD on
January 5.

Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen from the Bestpitch Ferry Bridge in
Dorchester Co, MD on January 5.

An adult female hummingbird that was banded and identified as a RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD has been visiting a feeder in northern St. Mary's Co, MD
with sightings during the week.  There is some discussion that this
Hummingbird might be a RUFOUS/CALLIOPE hybrid.

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE* was found at the intersection of Rts. 707 and 786
in Augusta Co, VA on January 3.  

A SEDGE WREN was seen at Truitt's Landing on January 5.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen near Mt. Vernon, Somerset Co, MD on
January 2 and another was at E.A. Vaughn WMA, Worcester Co, MD on
January 5. A YELLOW-THROARED WARBLER was spotted at Longbranch Nature
Center, Arlington Co, VA on January 7. 

An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was noted at Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William
Co, VA on January 1 and 5.  More AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen in
Western Regional Park, Howard Co, MD on January 5. Eight AMERICAN TREE
SPARROWS were seen at Huntley Meadows on January 6. Both NELSON'S and
SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were at Taylor's Landing, Worcester
Co, MD on January 5.  A flock of twenty SNOW BUNTINGS was seen at
Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA on January 2.

Two BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were at Truitt's Landing on January 5.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird list and DE Birds servers.
 
Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for directions to many birding sites. The ANS
Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent source
for this and many other nature-related titles.

To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
 or call 301-652-1088 and select menu
option 2. Please post reports before midnight Monday, identify the
county as well as state, and include your name and a Tuesday morning
contact, either e-mail or phone. 

Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.

*Of interest to the records committee.